This disclosure relates to an image forming system.
In an image forming apparatus, which is typified by a digital multifunctional peripheral and the like, an image of an original document is read out by an image reading unit, and then, an electrostatic latent image is formed on a photoreceptor provided to an image forming unit on the basis of the readout image. Thereafter, a charged toner is fed from a developing apparatus onto the formed electrostatic latent image to form a visible image, the image is transferred and fixed onto a paper, and then, the paper is discharged to the outside of the apparatus. As the number of formed images increases, a consumable, such as a toner and the like, is consumed. Thus, a toner cartridge or a toner container in which a toner as a consumable is filled is removably attached to the image forming apparatus. The toner is allowed to be supplied to the image forming apparatus at all times by replacing the toner cartridge or the toner container.
A typical image forming apparatus management system is configured such that a digital certificate on which identification information of a device that uses the cartridge is stored in a process cartridge used in an image forming apparatus and a controller of the image forming apparatus authenticates the process cartridge using the digital certificate at start-up. If the authentication fails, it is determined that the process cartridge is not a genuine unit, and a warning is issued by displaying a warning message, or the like. If identification information of the image forming apparatus is not described on the digital certificate, it is determined that the process cartridge is a cartridge which the image forming apparatus is not allowed to use, and a warning is also issued.
Also, a typical image forming apparatus is characterized by including a reading unit configured to read toner unit related information and first authentication information from an IC chip, an authentication information generation unit configured to generate second authentication information from a second authentication key held by the image forming apparatus and partial information that is a part of the toner unit related information read by the reading unit, and an authentication unit configured to perform authentication of a toner unit on the basis of the first authentication information read by the reading unit and the second authentication information generated by the authentication information generation unit.
A typical image forming apparatus provided with a replacement part removably attached thereto includes an apparatus control unit configured to control the entire image forming apparatus, an authentication data storage unit configured to store authentication data given to the image forming apparatus, and a first communication unit that is provided in the image forming apparatus to communicate with the replacement part, and is characterized in that the replacement part includes a second communication unit configured to communicate with the first communication unit, an authentication information storage unit that is capable of storing authentication information of a plurality of types, and an authentication information control unit configured to receive authentication data through communication and output a determination result obtained in determining whether or not authentication is possible from the authentication data and the authentication information stored in the authentication information storage unit, and the apparatus control unit determines contents of apparatus control on the basis of a determination result acquired via the first communication unit and the second communication unit.
Conventionally, an image forming apparatus configured such that the production period of a toner cartridge, a threshold of elapsed time after production, and processing information in exceeding the threshold of elapsed time are stored in a wireless tag as attribute information and a control unit is configured to calculate, when the toner cartridge is newly mounted, elapsed time after production of the toner cartridge on the basis of the production period, and execute, if the calculated elapsed time is over the threshold of elapsed time, initialization processing on the basis of the processing information is known.
A typical image forming apparatus includes a toner consumption time limit management apparatus that performs toner consumption time limit management in an attachable and removable toner container in a removable toner container, a toner using environment numerical value detection unit, and a timer unit, and is characterized in that a toner consumption time limit is reduced in accordance with time in which a value detected by the toner using environment numerical value detection unit is out of a setting range.